Using Embedded Figure Test, we classified students on the basis of field dependent and field independent typs. There were three groups: two students whose cognitive style were field dependent (the field dependent group) ; two students whose cognitive style were field independent (the field independent group) ; and two studensts whose cognitive style were field dependent and field independent (the mixed group). Each group was instructed to observe plants, and they were free to report whatever they wished. The results showed that the students of the mixed group found more points of observation than those of the field independent group in both the microscopic and macroscopic observations.

The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the use of bridging analogies can be effective in facilitating conceptual change. 92 lower secondary school students each received an explanation which used bridging analogies regarding the question of whether a table exerts an upward force on a book resting on top of it. In this study, 59 students initially responded that the table would not exert an upward force, out of whom 48 students changed their answer by the end of the explanation. After the explanation, about one-third of the students underwent a change in their concept of the table ; the students’ notion changed from being a rigid object to a kind of spring. The first test was administered with an explanation. Six months later, three similarly designed tests plus the original test were given without any explanation. With all the difference, their results exhibited almost identical patterns in the answers. The number of the students who viewed the table as a spring decreased, while an argument ensued as to whether the table exerted an upward force to counteract the downward force or motion of the book. The results of this study indicate that bridging analogy strategy can be effective in science teaching.

Although science teaching and learning in the classroom has been examined as a collaborative activity, little has been done to understand the processes of the colladoration itself. The purpose of this study is to analyze the discourse as the processes in the two styles of science lessons at elementary school in terms of the relations between a teacher and students, and to consider the implications of science education. We introduced into this research two different style of science lessons. One is where teacher and students used the concept maps as resourses for the representation of their ideas, and the other is where they didn’t. Based on ethnographic observation using videotape and audiotape recorders, we collected the date in two lessons, and made transcriptions of their discourse. And we analyzed the results quantitatively and qualitatively, using the IRE (teacher initiation, student response and teacher evaluation) sequence as their analytical framework. The results are : the discourse in the lesson didn’t using concept maps was organized into the IRE sequences, but the one using them is not. With this result, we may say that the teacher and students change their roles reciprocally when they represent their ideas with concept maps, and that the use of conceptual maps helps us to change the teacher-students relations.

The purpose of this study was to develop a “Knowledge Web,” the tool for children to represent a variety knowledge, and to examine its usefulness in science learning. The first feature of the knowledge web is that children are able to classify their own ideas into five types of knowledge. The second is that they are able to show the confidence in the relation between labels. The third is that they are able to represent the process of interactions. The experiment was conducted for 36 children of 6th grade in the science lesson, where the knowledge webs and evaluations constitued the data sources for our research. As a result, we conclude: the knowledge web helps children to represent easily not only propositions, but also strings, images, episodes and confidences, and that it is a useful tool for science learning.

This paper aims at analyzing the objectives, contents and teaching methods in STS education by fourteen states’ science curriculum standards, issued by the State Department of Education / State Board of Education in the United States. The characteristics of the State science curriculum standards are summarized as follows: 1. STS education and science education are integrated to make up objectives, contents and teaching methods of current science education. Their relation is different among fourteen states. 2. The components of STS education are also different among fourteen states. The curriculum standards may be, classified into three categories. ① Pennsylvania Type (The independent subject of「STS」is set in the secondary education.) ② Wisconsin Type (STS education is strongly emphasized at each grade of the primary and secondary education) ③ Alabama Type (Descriptions on STS are added to the content of former science education) 3. The contents of STS education are classified into twelve domains. Students learn them not separately but integratedly. Learning a unit, they learn some domains. It helps them to learn sciece in a spiral fashion in each grade. 4. There are many different teaching methods in STS education.

A macroscopic time concept is dealt with science learning in the lower secondary school. This is because it is essential in our understanding of the history of the earth as crustal movement and the creature’s evolution. However, we can not say that students appreiate the time concept properly. This is due to the existing teaching methodology. We need to establish an effective strategy of teaching/learning. In this study, we compared the transfiguration of the macroscopic time concept and its related imagery. We divided third grade students of the lower secondary school as follows: 1/. The control group, were taught with the use lectures and the blackboard. 2/. The experiment group, were taught with the Method of Loci of the creature’s evolution. The research findings indicate that the time concept and the constructive question of the pyramid can be apparently improved in a usual class, but the time image concerning fishes, amphibian, dinosaur and mammals can not without the use of the Method of Loci.